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Thursday, October 9, 2008

I'm a true believer that you can get rich simply by changing just a few of your habits. The easiest way to demonstrate this for yourself is to keep a log of your everyday expenditures. Carry around a small pamphlet and document everything that you purchase. Every time you pull out your wallet or dig into your purse, make a note of it on a chart of some sort. When you've lacked awareness of your spending habits for so long, you will be shocked at how much money you truly spend. Simply creating a paper trail of your spending habits is enough to jar you into changing some of your habits. Here is what my list looks like, (click the image to enlarge)

This pay period I've decided to cut back my spending on fast food and eating out. I went to the grocery store on Tuesday and spent $101.15. By having a frequent shopper's card, I saved over $16. I haven't spent an additional dime on eating out otherwise, and I don't plan on spending any money eating out for at least the next 10 days or so. I challenge others out there to do the same. Determine a way in which you could dramatically decrease your expenditures by first identifying where you are spending your money, and secondly, finding ways to shrink these expenses. By implementing this in my life, I will save over $100 just this pay period. Now, that's real results, right now!